ONE MONTH LATER

It was a Saturday so the LYOKO warriors only had half a day of classes. They were sitting in the lunch room talking about classes and homework. Eva's mobile began to ring. She took it out of her pocket. "It's Danny," she said. "Do you mind? I'm supposed to help him with his homework."

"Not at all," said Kayla.

Eva got up and left the lunch room.

"She seems like a completely different person," said William. "Whatever happened in America must have been great."

"Battling the world's most powerful ghost was not on my vacation plans," said Aelita. "I seriously doubt it was on Eva's, either."

"But was it that big a battle?" asked Odd.

"You saw the video," said Jeremy.

"Yeah, I know," said Odd. "You hacked the security cameras and faked the tapes the public would see. I saw the originals. I still find them hard to believe."

"And more than half of it wasn't on camera or even in the same dimension," said Aelita.

"Well, I like this new Eva," said Yumi. "She seems happier."

Kayla smiled. "That's not the only thing," she said. "I keep her medicine supplies stocked. Did you know that she hasn't taken anything to help her get to sleep at night?"

"No," said Ulrich.

Kayla nodded. "I don't think she needs them anymore."

Aelita smiled and giggled. "I think I know why that is."

"Tell us," said Odd.

"Danny's sister, Jazz, is studying psychology," said Aelita. "She said that traumatic events can lead to insomnia."

"Eva's always dealt with that," said Kayla. She caught on. "But if Mackenzie forgave her and Eva forgave herself, she would be able to move on."

"Now that I think of it, she has been more perky," said Ulrich.

"Anyone like to bet that she doesn't keep that hunting knife under her pillow?" asked William.

"I don't think things changed that quickly," said Kayla.

"They did," said Aelita. "I went into her room last week. I was sitting on her bed and I was curious to see if she still had the knife. It's gone. She doesn't keep it there anymore."

"She probably moved it," said Jeremy.

"No, I think she may have gotten rid of it," said Kayla.

"Always the hopeful one," said William, putting his arm around Kayla's shoulder.

"I wonder why she kept it under her pillow in the first place," said Jeremy.

"XANA attacks," said Odd.

"I think she kept it there because she was scared," said Kayla. "She was afraid that someone was going to hurt her."

"No one would, except XANA," said Yumi.

"Or she did it out of guilt," said Ulrich. "She felt guilty because of Mackenzie and she wasn't going to let anything happen to anyone else as long as she was alive. If she was dead, she wouldn't be able to atone for what happened to her little sister."

"But it wasn't her fault in the first place," Odd pointed out.

"It was to her," said Kayla. She poked at her sausage. "But she's forgiven herself. She doesn't need to fear anymore. She can move on with her life. She can finally be a normal teenager."

"Kayla." They all jumped. They didn't hear Eva come back inside and take her seat again. "Nothing is normal about us."

Odd shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe we will get to save the world again sometime soon."

"Don't jinx it," Kayla and Eva said simultaneously.

They all laughed.

This where the story ends. Am I sad that this is over? Yes, I am. But this series has been going on for so long that it was time to call it quits. Thank you, my readers, for hanging with me through all the posting snafues.